It is known to use occlusal splints for combatting bruxism and periodontal problems, to relieve strain on the temporal mandibular joint, and for other well-known purposes. The use of patterns in the manufacture of such splints is common and millions of such patterns are used every year. Heretofore, however, the production of such patterns has been a tedious, manual operation requiring the services of a dental professional or a highly skilled dental technician.
In general, one procedure currently in use for the production of a splint pattern involves the formation of plaster models of a patient's maxillary and mandibular jaw teeth, placing the models in an articulator, heating a quantity of dental wax to make it manually pliable, and thereafter shaping the pliable wax to form an arcuate approximation of the patient's bite. While still pliable the arcuate member is inserted between the maxillary and mandibular jaw teeth models and conformed as much as possible to the configuration of the patient's teeth, following which an impression is made of the patient's bite in the still pliable arcuate member so as to form a pattern which subsequently may be used in the production of the splint.
Another current method for forming a splint pattern corresponds substantially to that described above except that the pattern is formed directly in the patient's mouth without the use of models or an articulator.
The manner of forming patterns as described above has many disadvantages other than the time expended in the production. For example, the labial and buccal length and wall thickness rarely, if ever, are uniform. In addition, those patterns which are used for the production of splints having cuspid risers must have excess wax applied manually, a procedure which leaves a great deal to be desired in terms of location, thickness, height, and slope. Further, the manual formation of a splint pattern from maxillary and mandibular models presents problems in effecting precise orientation of the pattern in the patient's mouth.
A splint pattern formed in accordance with the present invention overcomes or greatly minimizes all of the foregoing objections.